Lu Chen knew Raiden Ei didn't hold her liquor well—when drunk, she liked to spout nonsense and get overly touchy.
But this time, she got drunk way too fast.
All thanks to that cursed "Water of Life"! As he tried to calm her down, Lu Chen shot Venti a glare.
Could this guy go one day without causing trouble?
Venti gave an innocent smile. "How was I supposed to know she'd down that much in one go?"
"I'll deal with you later!" Lu Chen raised an eyebrow.
Venti chuckled and raised both hands in surrender.
Lu Chen could already feel Raiden Ei slipping out of his control. Her delicate, smooth hands kept wandering all over his face, radiating an unexpected heat.
Her expression grew dazed, and her clear eyes shimmered with starlight—those were tears.
"In Inazuma… whenever we were together… it was always you and my sister talking… while I just listened silently."
Lu Chen was stunned. He hadn't expected Raiden Ei to bring that up.
He gently took her restless hand, letting the warmth settle in his palm.
She was such a sharp girl. No matter how odd or niche his jokes were—even if they came from another world—she could always follow along and even build on them. So most of the time, it was him and the others driving the conversation, laughing, while she sat quietly, taking it all in.
Had she felt left out?
"I wasn't jealous…"
Raiden Ei's dazed eyes focused intently on Lu Chen's face, as if trying to memorize it.
"I love my sister. I love you, too. I loved the time when all of us were together..."
"I really wish we could go back…"
"Chen."
"I'm here."
"Don't betray me again, okay? Or else…" She leaned in close, her breath warm against his ear, her voice laced with an enchanting tone.
"Okay…"
Before Lu Chen could respond properly, lightning crackled in Raiden Ei's hand—and in a flash, the blade "Musou Isshin" materialized in her grip.
"Ei?!"
The once-sunny afternoon darkened instantly. Thick black clouds churned above, rumbling with the promise of a storm.
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by an earth-shaking boom. Thunder and lightning seemed ready to split the world apart.
Outside and inside the tavern, shouts of panic erupted.
Lu Chen turned his gaze to her face—beautiful like a cherry blossom in Narukami Island, but now shadowed by sorrow and a trace of parting. She looked like a bloom caught in freefall.
"Ah, crap…" Venti hastily put down his wine glass and offered a weak warning. "Beelzebul, don't use your powers recklessly in this world—we promised Lu Chen, remember?"
"She's drunk! She's not listening!" Lu Chen snapped.
People in the tavern froze at the sight of Raiden Ei brandishing a glowing purple blade, her expression sharp enough to kill.
Then someone screamed—and chaos broke loose.
Everyone bolted for the exit.
"Hurry and get her out of here!" Venti shouted, noticing that the nearby tables had cleared out. He grabbed a bottle from the table.
"I can feel the wind's presence on you, Lu Chen. Is that a Vision?" He sniffed the bottle—smelled decent enough.
"Yeah." Lu Chen nodded quickly.
"Then I'll set up a wind field. You'll be able to harness Anemo for a bit and fly. Get her home fast."
Lu Chen stared at Venti—this was one of the rare times he was actually being helpful.
Though, true to form, he casually went back to sipping his wine.
"And what about you?"
"Me?" He put the bottle down. "Don't worry—I can track your house through the wind. I promise, I won't run off this time."
Seeing Lu Chen's unconvinced look, he waved his hand. "Relax, relax! I've got something to handle here. You go first—I'll catch up!"
Lu Chen decided to trust him—this once. He already had a pretty good idea what Venti was planning.
He turned back to Raiden Ei, who had summoned Musou Isshin again, causing another deafening crack of thunder. The outburst seemed to clear her head a little.
She looked around, holding her forehead, swaying unsteadily.
"Why… is everyone gone…"
"Chen… Barbatos—did we find Barbatos…"
"We did. We found him." Lu Chen steadied her.
"Tell him I said hi… I feel dizzy, Chen… I want to sleep…"
"Then let's go home and sleep." Lu Chen let her wrap her arms around his neck, bent his knees, and lifted her in a bridal carry.
The same girl who had just summoned a godlike thunderstorm suddenly turned docile the moment she was in his arms. She let him carry her without protest.
Her cheek pressed softly against his chest. Soon, her eyes closed, and she drifted off to sleep.
It was a classic princess carry. Venti watched with a sly smile.
"How sweet."
Lu Chen shot him a look that said, "We're not done here," then slipped out the bar's back door.
He opened it—and a circular wind field spiraled upward. As he stepped in, his body felt light, like he was about to take flight.
And fly he did. Even without wind gliders, Lu Chen soared into the air with Raiden Ei in his arms.
Takeoff!
...
Once he confirmed they'd entered the wind field safely, Venti's laid-back eyes gleamed with excitement.
He turned to the now-empty bar, his eyes sparkling.
Empty bottles sat on tables and across the bar top.
The bartender was long gone.
Hehe~.. it's all mine now!
...
Carrying Raiden Ei, Lu Chen finally made it home. He gently laid her on the bed and breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Then he collapsed onto the floor, panting, drenched in sweat.
To outsiders, that princess carry might've looked intimate and romantic—but after hauling her all the way, all Lu Chen could think was...
"Ei, why are you so heavy?!"
"What did you even eat these last five hundred years?!"
Could it be… the chest? Did that add weight? Lu Chen glanced over at her—specifically at the area around her "Musou Blade Gap."
Looked good.
Wait. What the hell am I thinking...
Raiden Ei's a god. Gods don't get fat. They can literally shape themselves however they want.
Lu Chen silently opened his system panel and looked at his stamina stat—4.
Yeah. That's probably the issue. I'm weak as hell right now…
He made a silent vow.
Time to go hunt some Slimes by the beach and crack open some chests.
I will get my stamina back!
This is about a man's pride!